Thank you for such a thoughtful and rich response.

I agree with so much of what you have written -- about gurus, teachers who offer without expectation, and the need for discernment. I have found having teachers immensely important to my path, as well as knowing when I didn't need to follow them or where to draw a line.

I found it fascinating that you brought up _Stranger Things_, as I too have found the turn in Season 4 to be troubling and disappointing for a lot of reasons. But, consistent with your point about patriarchy and the writers (the Duffer Brothers), I don't know if they realized what they were doing when they identified the source of the evil in a young boy who was that way for no reason, no specified trauma.

Thanks again for your thoughtful reflections, which I enjoyed reading very much and gave me a lot to ponder.